Page 18 of Thanks for the Memories
Chapter Six
“Tell me everything,” Gabby demands, hopping onto the couch and crossing her legs.
She barely had a foot in the door before Lila spilled the beans about Dante and me.
“Let’s just say that if I hadn’t walked in at that moment this house might not be standing,” Lila calls from the kitchen. “Things were heating up, and I’m not talking about the stove.”
I roll my eyes, but I can’t disagree.
“I still can’t believe he spent the whole day making food for us. He’s a keeper for sure,” Gabby says.
I still haven’t had a chance to tell Lila and Gabby about how things ended before Dante left. Yes, there was more kissing. There was also the reminder of how bad the timing is for us. And I can’t blame him for that. He’d just taken a huge leap with his restaurant, and that’s his main focus. I wouldn’t expect him to drop the ball because of me and one hot kiss. The good news is he said he wants to spend more time together—the bad news is I have no idea when that will be.
“Reagan, why don’t you seem happy?” Gabby asks. “Isn’t this something you’ve been dreaming about forever?”
“Well, yes, but—”
“From what I saw, you shouldn’t have any concerns,” Lila adds.
“True.”
“But you do,” Gabby points out.
“I just wish I knew what to expect. What if we both got caught up in the moment because neither of us has dated anyone in a while?”
“It’s possible. But maybe this reunion will lead to more. Don’t rule things out yet,” Gabby chimes in. “And you’ve waited this long. Once Golden is fully up and running, he’ll have more time for his personal life and you.”
“Yes, but you can’t put your life on hold for him,” Lila interjects.
“Exactly,” I say. “I think that’s where my doubts are coming from. Now that I’m settled here and at work, I’m ready to meet people and date—”
“And have steamy make out sessions in the kitchen,” Lila suggests.
Well, yeah.
“I think you need to continue to pursue Dante,” Gabby says.
“I agree, but you also need to put herself out there,” Lila adds. “You don’t want to miss out on someone amazing because you’re holding out for the chef. Just keep your eyes open.”
I look back and forth between my roommates. It’s nice to have friends who are so invested in my happiness.
“The good news is you can still see Dante and explore other options,” Lila says with a wicked smile. “You’ve got the best of both worlds, so take advantage of it.”
Hmm … I’ve never been the girl who dates multiple people at one time, and I’m not ready to give up on Dante yet. But what if someone else came along? Am I going to be too invested in Dante to see it?
“We’ll see what happens,” I tell them, stretching out on the couch. “I have to say that it was nice talking about old times and sharing memories. And even though it’s been a lot of years, it felt comfortable. We didn’t feel the need to worry about making that first impression.”
“I get that,” Gabby says. “That’s one thing I didn’t have to worry about with Theo. My first impression was terrible.”
We all laugh because she and Theo had a very interesting start to their relationship that included a trip to the ER. He was very sweet the way he worried about her. I think that’s one of the things that connected them so quickly.
“That’s your answer,” Lila says, stirring her hot tea. “See where things go with Dante and keep your eyes and ears open. Someone could walk into your life at any moment—at least that’s what I keep telling myself.”
That’s what I worry about the most. I guess I need to make more of an effort to be social and broaden my social circle. Lila is always inviting me to go out with her friends. I need to take advantage of those opportunities more.
“It’ll happen when you least expect it,” Gabby insists. “If anyone is proof of that, it’s me. After Dustin broke me, the last thing I wanted was another man in my life.”
Lila slides closer to Gabby. “Your story gives me hope—even though I’m still not completely on board with you and Theo. There are so many great guys out there.”
